Landscape sustainability analysis: Methodological approach from dynamical systems

Abstract

Sustainable development is a concept that has been maturing since its promulgation in Brundtland in 1987. Following a complex systems-based reflection that involves system dynamics, dynamical systems and viability theory, is proposed that sustainability is an emerging expression of the landscape, whose emergence results from the socio-ecological interactions of the landscape, so its analysis must be of a type systemic, incorporating the temporal transformation of all landscapes aspects, and not only portions of them, in addition, in this paper is explained that sustainability does not exist as a single state, but that there are sustainabilities and that, although its analysis is specific space, it should allow comparison with higher and lower spatial scales. In this way, a methodological approach is made from dynamical systems theory for sustainability landscape analysis. This perspective not only allows to recognize the trend behavior of a socio-ecological system in the landscape establishing its sustainability, but it is also oriented to decision-making, so, the management of sustainability indicators should not be done as if in the landscape were disconnected, causing possible deterioration of other indicators during the management, but through sustainability principles defined as indicators set satisfying constraints. In this way, the perspective from the dynamical systems theory allows the recognition of sustainability and guides on the decision making in the landscape.

Vulnerability reduction in post-conflict areas through a Nexus approach to sustainable food production systems: a case study in Colombia

“…Examples such as this show the importance of taking a sustainable economic recovery approach to this population to conserve the region's natural areas while reducing societal inequalities (UNEP 2016). This methodology is supported by Bustamante et al (2019), and Redondo et al (2019), whose sustainability research on productive lands highlights the advantages of using these spatial variables in this type of research. GIS proved to be a powerful tool to display ES distribution and analyse the natural and anthropogenic elements that interact in a multifunctional landscape under climate change conditions; enabling landscape analysis and management.…”

Vulnerability reduction in post-conflict areas through a Nexus approach to sustainable food production systems: a case study in Colombia

“…For this approach, homogeneous analysis units were generated according to climatological, physiographic, technological, land use and producer-type criteria based on the system dynamics methodology (Redondo et al 2019), characterised by spatial estimates, creating quantitative values for each area in Planadas (2.2.1 section).…”

“…Bustamante et al (2019), andRedondo et al (2019), whose sustainability research on productive lands highlights the advantages of using these spatial variables in this type of research. GIS proved to be a powerful tool to display ES distribution and analyse the natural and anthropogenic elements that interact in a multifunctional landscape under climate change conditions; enabling landscape analysis and management.Similar studies to analyse the Resource Nexus approach; likewise, the WEF-E Nexus as a peacebuilding planningtool have been carried out in the Global South region, for instance, in Africa.…”

Heterogeneity: method and applications for complex systems analysis

“…Sustainability is a concept with a broad scope in socio-ecological systems; among the aspects studied in a sustainability analysis for agricultural landscapes [25] is found the heterogeneity of land uses, which considered the existence of the use and its extension. In this case, we will show the results of the heterogeneity calculation in a hypothetical landscape in which must be ten agricultural uses, using the method proposed in Proposition 1.…”